Thermometer



E. s. WHlTTlE IR THERMOMETER Filed Jan. 5, 1946 OVEN-"0-;- TH ERMO METER/NVENTOB H/s ATTORNEX Patented Aug. 17, 1948 THERMOMETER Elmer S.Whittier, Bristol, Conn., assignor to The Cooper Oven ThermometerCompany, Pequabuck, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationJanuary 5, 1946, Serial No. 639,318

2 Claims.

This invention relates to thermometers and comprises all of the featuresof novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention is to improvethe construction of thermometers and reduce the cost, particularly foruse in ovens or refrigerators. Another object is to simplify theconstruction and eliminate prior assembly operations, as by making thesupporting frame and the dial as a unit, and by protecting the pointerin a recess of the dial and protecting the thermostatic actuating meansin an angle between the dial portion and a supporting base. Anotherobject is to provide a thermometer which can be easily cleaned and whichwill not be subject to discoloration or breakage of glass. Still anotherobject is to provide improved and simple means for setting the pointerwith respect to dial graduations.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of thischaracter, the invention consists in the various matters hereinafterdescribed and claimed. In its broader aspects, the invention is notnecessarily limited to the specific construction selected forillustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is afront elevation.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of a portion of Fig. 2.

The frame or body of the thermometer comprises a supporting flange orbase 2, an upwardly extending face plate or dial portion 4 which has acircular depression or recess 6 and a hanger or hook B at the top. Thebase will support the thermometer upon the shelf or floor of an oven orrefrigerator or, optionally, the thermometer may be hung by the hookupon a rack or grid. The base and dial plate make an angle at ll] ofsomewhat less than 90 so that the face plate or dial portion will takean inclined position for easy reading. Also when the hook is used as ahanger, the dial portion will take a similar inclined position becausethe center of gravity of the device lies back of the dial portion. Theframe or body is heat resistant and may consist of aluminum or coatedmetal, the coating being on the front and preferably of porcelain enamelextending upwardly from. the bend H! to cover the whole of the uprightportion of the frame. The base 2 need not be coated and hence theporcelain will not be cracked or chipped when the bend at I is made orchanged.

The circular depression 6 serves as a protecting housing for a pointerl2 which is riveted to the end of a shaft or arbor M which is journalled2 for turning movement in a flanged sleeve or bushing I6 extendingthrough holes in the dial portion and in the end wall 18 of a cuppedhousing 25. The rear end of the arbor is enlarged and diametricallyslotted to receive the bent inner end of a spiral thermostatic element22. The outer end or anchoring arm 24 of this element extends radiallythrough a slot in the housing 20 and then terminates in a shortretaining lug 26.

To avoid any necessity for adjustably securing the anchoring arm to thehousing 20, the bushing I6 is not tight in the face plate but preferablyhas frictional engagement externally therewith. Thus all of the partssupported by the bushing can be turned as a unit to set the pointer inthe proper relation to the dial graduations. If desired, the bushing maybe tight in the dial opening and the housing frictionally engaged withthe bushing for rotative adjustment. If desired, the housing 2! may beclosed by a cap 28 as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4 although thehousing and contents are well protected from mechanical injury in theangle between the dial portion and its supporting base.

By the foregoing construction in which dial 7 and frame are made as aunit with a depression for the pointer, the costly assembly operationsand additional elements of prior devices are avoided and uttersimplicity is attained. There is no need of a bezel and a glass which issubject to breakage and clouding up by contact with steam and greasyvapors to impair easy reading. The dial is directly accessible for easycleaning without removing a glass and bezel. The entire front face ofthe body can be used as a dial with plenty of room for large letters andnumbers which condition would not exist in a thermometer of the samebody size having frame and dial as separate parts. Difierentialexpansion and contraction of connected parts is substantiallyeliminated. The elimination of parts previously considered essential orimportant decreases expense and weight which decreases heat conductionand makes the thermometer quickly responsive.

I claim:

1. In a thermometer, a self-supporting frame of angular form comprisinga supporting base and an inclined face plate connected to and making anacute angle with the base, the inclined face plate having an outer areaprovided with a dial and surrounding a central pointer-receiving recesswhich is pressed back into the angle from the plate, a pointer in therecess, a housing mounted at the rear of the recess and contained withinthe angle, and thermostatic operating means mounted in the housing andhaving a connection with the pointer.

2. In a thermometer, a self-supporting frame of angular form comprisinga base and an inclined face .plate making an acute angle with the base,the inclined face plate having an outer area provided with, a, dial andsurrounding a central pointer-' receiving' recess which is pressed backinto the angle from the face plate, a pointer in the recess, a housingat the rear of the recess and contained within said angle, a shaftconnected to the pointer, a thermostatic element connected to the shaftand to the housing, a bushing passing through the recessed area-ofthe-faceplate and forming a bearing for the shaft, and the bushing beingtightly engaged with the housing and having frictional engagement withthe face plate to enable all parts to be turned. with respect to theface plate.

- S. WHITTIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,423,257 Richardson July, 18,1922 1,638,276 Schultz Aug. 9, 1927 1,692,551 Harris Nov. 20, 19281,926,808 Hastings Sept. 12, 1933 2,282,277 Whittier May 5, 19422,371,603 Bradley Mar. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 Number Country Date750,756 France June 6, 1933

